


Love Bites

by allthingspieandhockey (SunMonTue)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Hickeys, Love Bites, M/M, coming out fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 08:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7525576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunMonTue/pseuds/allthingspieandhockey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A love bite on Jack's neck leads to Jack coming out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Bites

**Author's Note:**

> Super quick ficlet based a post from @incorrectcheckpleasequotes:  
> “Bad Bob: Everyone just saw your hickey on TV and on the Jumbotron at the hockey game.  
> Jack: Thanks, Dad.”
> 
> Characters are from the webcomic Check Please which belongs solely to Ngozi.

Bitty looks, eyes widening and cheeks flushing as he sees the collar of Jack’s top slip just enough to reveal the dark red patch of skin on his neck.  _Oops!_  he scolds himself internally, because he really hadn’t meant to leave a mark. Well, not one that over people would be able to  _see_. 

It’s a bit late to tell Jack, who is running down the long tunnel toward the locker room. He’ll find out soon enough of course, because his team mates will be sure to inform him. Bitty blushes and then pushes his shoulders back. The team knows now, they’ve been together long enough that it’s an open secret, but not quite yet public knowledge.

It slips from his mind until later, when at the game, he’s sitting with the other family members of the Falconers and there is a sudden roar of laughter and his name is being called and he looks up from where he was helping Katy color to see Jack, super large on the Jumbotron and then the mark on his neck. Has it gotten  _darker?_  Oh Lord.

…

The wives and girlfriends start chirping him, eyebrows waggling and friendly laughter and Bitty intently ignores them and goes back to helping Katy. His cheeks are warm though and he’s holding back a hysterical giggle himself. He’s glad they’re only warming up and he doesn’t feel guilty for not watching right now. He grabs his phone and of course the group chat has blown up and Bitty shakes his head, resigning himself to his blush being a permanent fixture for the game.

He sends a quick  _sorry_  text to Jack, knowing he won’t see it until much later. Bitty knows that Jack likes knowing Bitty thinks about him, even if in this case it’s not for the best of reasons. Once the game starts Bitty starts paying attention and can’t help but notice the camera man seems to be taking great delight in focusing in on Jack’s neck at every possible opportunity. He wonders what the commentators are saying but figures it’s probably best he doesn’t know if Shitty’s ranting in the group chat is anything to go by.

The game seems to drag, but the Falconers win by two in regulation, and it cinches the Falconers spot in the playoffs so of course the crowd goes absolutely nuts. Bitty doesn’t race to go and see Jack, has learnt from experience he’ll just end up waiting somewhere colder and far less comfortable. Someone turns the TV on for the post-match interviews with the players and so many of the others in the room are giving him a gentle ribbing about the mark on Jack’s neck. Good thing they don’t know about the rest of his body really.

As suspected the reporters swarm around, asking the usual questions about how they feel about the win, preparations for the playoffs and then:

“So, Jack, that mark on your neck? Is it hockey related?”

Bitty watches as Jack blinks and frowns, wondering if the reporter is being deliberately obtuse.

“No. It’s a love bite.”

That causes a small but quiet uproar among the reporters and team mates in the room and Bitty is sure he stops breathing. He’s glad he’s not in the same room, and Sarah, Guy’s wife, has come to sit beside him, gripping his hand and he’s so thankful for the moral support right now. They’ve planned for Jack to come out publicly, just waiting for Jack to give the final word on when that will be.

Bitty thinks that might be right now, because he recognizes that look on Jack’s face. The steely determination that he’s going to do it  _right now_  and damn the consequences. He remembers it from right before Jack kissed him the first time, an inner fire in his eyes that he had to act or regret it forever.

“A love bite. Is this confirmation that all the single ladies can give up their hopes of bagging you as their boyfriend?”

The camera has zoomed in enough for Bitty to catch the tightening around Jack’s lips and hard look in his eyes and all Bitty wants to do is go and give him a hug because Jack is probably freaking out right now. Or will save it for later maybe.

“All the single ladies and all the single guys. I’m bi-sexual.”

The roar this time is noticeably louder and Bitty releases the breath he’s been holding onto. It’s happening, after over four and a half years it’s actually finally happening. He doesn’t even realize he’s crying until he feels Sarah putting tissues into his hands.

“Really? That’s... massive news. On top of your new relationship status.”

“It’s not new. We’ve been together for over four years,” Jack says sharply.

“Oh...”

Fortunately George steps in, saying there will be a press release and that Jack will not be answering any more questions about his relationship at this stage. Bitty has never wanted to kiss a woman more than in that moment. He watches as Jack gets several supportive back-slaps and shoulder bumps from his team members and the tension in his stomach releases ever so slightly.

The rest of it passes in a little bit of a blur and he lets Sarah guide him and is so grateful that he can just switch off. He knew it would happen eventually, but now guilt is eating him up inside that maybe he has inadvertently forced Jack’s hand on coming out before he was completely ready. Sarah suggests he wait for Jack in the car, which is an excellent idea given the media scrum still surrounding the locker room.

The team are going out to celebrate, and his phone is vibrating constantly in his hand because  _holy shit_. That actually just happened. He feels shaky and nervous, like they’ve just come out to the team. Again. Except of course they have, all of the teams, and public and every person who thinks they deserve an opinion on their privates lives. He sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, counting.

By the time Jack slips into the driver’s seat Bitty is calm, has answered everyone’s messages and freaked out a little on Twitter.

“Jack, I am... so sorry. I didn’t mean to leave it and force you to have to come out.”

Jack reaches across and cups his face in his hand and Bitty goes quiet. Jack looks incredibly happy, relaxed and relieved in a way that only happens on rare occurrences inside their apartment.

“Bitty, you’ve never forced me to do anything. It was a convenient excuse because honestly, I’m more than ready to do this now.”

‘This’ means being under constant public scrutiny, and Bitty knows Jack means it, but also that the next few months are going to be potentially rocky. He leans forward and closes his eyes as Jack’s lips meet his, lets one of his hands curl into the shower-damp hair and realizes he’s touching the hickey that started the whole thing.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am allthingspieandhockey on tumblr for all my Check Please fic and musings and general fangirling.


End file.
